Читать книгу Love Is Blind - Rodney Suggs - Страница 14

Chapter 10

“Thank you for coming out to dinner. I hope it was somewhat enjoyable. Janet, you’re still as stunning as ever, even a little thicker,” David said as he leaned back looking at Janet’s butt.

“Well, some things just get better with time,” Janet responded, flirting back.

“I hope this is not our last time seeing one another,” David said.

“Oh, it won’t be. You can count on that. Sorry for the little mishap during dinner,” Janet replied, cutting her eyes over to Iliana who was standing by the door ready to go. Janet and David hugged and kissed one another on the cheek before leaving the restaurant. Janet and Iliana sat in silence on the ride back home. About fifteen minutes from the house, Janet’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?” Janet answered.

“What’s up, love? How are things going with the dinner?” I asked.

“Dinner went well. We’re actually on our way home as we speak.”

Turning from the window, Iliana gawked at her mother with disgust. She couldn’t believe how she was on the phone outright lying.

“Good, huh? So what was so good about it?” I asked.

“Kahlil, I’m a little tired and I’m driving home, so I’ll call you back when I get in the house?” responded Janet.

“Okay, I’ll just talk to you later then. Before I hang up, can you pass the phone to Iliana?” I requested. Without uttering another word, Janet passed the phone to her daughter.

“Hi, Dad! How is New York?” Iliana asked in excitement.

“Hi, sunshine. It’s busy here, but I should be finished within the next few days. I can’t wait to get back home to see you. I miss you so much,” I replied.

“I miss you too, Dad,” Iliana said back.

“So how did dinner go?” I asked.

“I was fine with everything until Mom told me I’m going to visit David every weekend this summer,” Iliana explained.

“What?!” I yelled in shock.

“Iliana!” Janet screamed from the driver’s seat. After several attempts to take the phone away, Janet finally gave up once the truck swerved on the highway.

“I guess they have been discussing it for weeks leading up to the meeting from what he told me,” she continued.

I could not believe what I was hearing. “Iliana, my dear, please put your mother back on the phone. I will see you soon. Miss you, honey,” I said, trying my best to mask my irritation.

With a smirk on her face, Iliana turned to her mother tapping her on the hand with her cell phone. “Phone’s for you,” she said sarcastically.

“You little bitch! You’re lucky I’m driving on this highway; otherwise, I’d pull over to kick your muthafucking ass! You just wait until we get home. We’re going to see who the smart one is before this night is over. I am so sick of you,” Janet whispered and then snatched her cell phone from her daughter’s hand. “Babe, it’s not what you think,” Janet pleaded after placing the phone back to her ear.

Before another word could come out, I lost all composure. “What the fuck is going on, Janet? What is this talk about these discussions you’ve been having with David about picking up Iliana for the past few weeks? I was under the impression that he just got out?” I asked.

“Kahlil, David has been out for about a month now,” Janet responded. There was a long silence on the phone as Janet pulled up to the gate of house. “Hello? Are you still there?” she asked.

I stood up from my hotel bed and walked over to the window. Pulling the curtains back with the remote, I just stood there staring into the city. “How many lies must I take from you before I get the whole damn story about this guy?! I’ve only been gone a day, and now more shit is surfacing!” I yelled.

“So basically, you called just to yell at me? How nice of a call from my boyfriend,” Janet replied, beginning to cry.

“I called because I miss my girlfriend and my daughter. I didn’t think I’d be calling to find out my girlfriend has arranged things with her ex about the child I’ve been taking care of all this time.”

“Kahlil, he’s her father. What the hell do you want me to do? Deny him his legal right just because I’m dating you? How fair is that? What if it was you? You would want to see your daughter, right?” pleaded Janet.

“How fair have you been to me about all of this? We are in a relationship, and the respect level should be much higher when it comes to communication and being honest. If the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn’t be in that situation because I don’t need to sell drugs! What if we were married? Is this what I should expect from you?” I asked.

“Of course not, Kahlil!” screamed Janet.

“Since we are in a moment of discovery, I need to address another disturbing finding about your sneaky, lying ass. I was going to wait until I got back, but what’s the point? I got a call from my financial advisor questioning me about my recent spending habits and if everything was okay. Having no clue what he was talking about, I requested the records of the transactions and came to find out you have been on quite the spending spree as of late. From clothes, shoes, and jewelry to purses, spa treatments, and spontaneous cash withdrawals, you’ve been losing your damn mind! Or is this all a big misunderstanding and there’s a logical reason for these spends?” I asked.

As Janet and Iliana got out of the truck and walked into the house, she just held the phone. “Okay, yes, I admit I got a little carried away buying a few things, Kahlil, but I was going to tell you,” she said.

“After the past three days, I question if I even know who the fuck you are right now!” I yelled.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?!” Janet screamed.

“Who do I think I’m talking to? I’m talking to you!” I screamed into the phone. Janet slowly sat down on the edge of the bed in the master bedroom remaining quiet. “You have racked up a hundred grand worth of spending within three months! I thought we were way past me having to check up on finances. I thought our trust was solid enough that if you pulled something like this, you’d be straight with me to talk about it. I don’t mind you treating yourself, but damn!”

Janet sat there crying softly, trying to get herself together enough to respond. She slowly put the phone to her mouth. “Kahlil, I’m so sorry. I really was going to tell you, but I just didn’t know how to,” she said.

“You are a lying bitch! You know that?” I yelled before hanging up the phone.

Iliana could hear her mother crying behind the closed bedroom doors. She opened the doors and stood over her mother who was hunched over on the bed with her hands over her face.

“Are you okay?” Iliana asked.

With her face covered in tears, Janet looked up at her daughter and then stood to her feet. Her right hand flew across her body, slapping her daughter’s face and knocking her to the floor.

“Get up and go to your fucking room! This is all your fault! All you had to do was keep your damn mouth shut, but no, you had to be the smart, ungrateful, little bitch! We have nothing else to say tonight. Don’t worry about asking if I’m okay! Get out!” Janet screamed.